Monday, December 16, 2013

"He has read our yellowed penciled pages, as well as our minds and hearts. He reads our written prayers on the backs of envelopes, on the margins of our Bibles, on the backs of weekly memo calendars or the unwritten whispers in the middle of the night."

~Edith Schaeffer, The Tapestry

Sunday, December 15, 2013

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. . . . And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. . . . For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace." ~John 1:1-3, 14, 16

Friday, December 13, 2013

This is one of the things most necessary for a guy to be good boyfriend according to almost every survey I've read and almost every personal story I've heard. What makes you smile though is directly dependent upon what you value.

Does he make you smile by joking about other people?

Does he make you smile by talking about nonsensical things that let you forget about the stresses of life?

Does he make you smile by constantly and patiently directing your heart and thoughts to the perfect truth of the gospel?

The first example allows you to indulge in negative thoughts about other people.
The second example provides a temporary escape only to leave you with the same negative thoughts when you return to "harsh reality".

Is either one really worth smiling about?

The third example though points you to the essence of your life and leads you into a deeper communion with your Savior.

You should ask yourself -- does this guy amuse you (and therefore appease shallow desires) or does he remind you of the joy that gives you life and meaning?

Let's be less concerned with smiling and more concerned with deeply understanding and relentlessly pursuing the truth of the gospel. Smiling will invariably follow.

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Yesterday, my roommates and I celebrated Christmas in our apartment :) Snow was falling and Christmas music was playing and we bought donuts from Tim Hortons :) It was quite lovely and a much needed break in the middle of a week full of studying for finals :)

Earlier in the week we spent an evening making paper snowflakes :)

The presents and "tree" had been sitting in the window for several days. It looked quite festive from outside :)

Now just one more final tomorrow morning and then I will be on my way home . . .